Cake stock dispensing apparatus

ABSTRACT

A cake stock dispensing apparatus wherein a depressing plate is provided in the upper portion of a cake stock container which has a bottom plate provided with a number of nozzles thereon for extruding cake stock therethrough, said nozzles being opened and closed by a shutter. The apparatus further has a liftable supporting plate below the openings for removably supporting a disk thereof, the latter being adapted to receive the cake stock extruded through the nozzles.

United States Patent 1 1 [111 3,864,067 Kajitani Feb. 4, 1975 4] CAKE STOCK DISPENSING APPARATUS 3,405,664 /1968 Kajitani 425/382 x 1 1 141441011 Tadahiw 411 4 288-28, 121%??? 13/133 21255."..11:1133;311:1313:iiiijfiisiijf F y lh RIM-Che, Kurlta-gum 3,680,992 8/1972 Kajitani 425/167 Shiga Prefecture, Japan 7 [22] Filed: May 1973 Primary Examiner-R. Spencer Annear [21] Appl. No.: 357,196

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data [57] ABSTRACT Jan, 24, 1973 Japan 48-105l3 A cake stock dispensing apparatus wherein a depress- Jan. 24, 1973 Japan 48-10514 ing plate is provided in the upper portion of a cake Jan. 25, 1973 Japan 48-11529[U] stock container which has a bottom plate provided with a number of nozzles thereon for extruding cake Cl 6 425/16 425/382 stock therethrough, said nozzles being opened and [51] Ill!- Cl. A216 5/02 closed by a shutter. [58] Fleld of Search 425/156 The apparatus further has a liftable supporting plate 425/166 below the openings for removably supporting a disk thereof, the latter being adapted to receive the cake [56] References cued stock extruded through the nozzles.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,919,374 7/1933 Ceguillow 425/326 R 3 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures MM Ii H221 f0 71 n J? W VaX 75 62 FFJENTEDFEB 4:9. 5

SHEET 2 BF 6 PATENTED 4|975 3.864.067

SHEET u [1F 6 Wm fliV/JW AZ% 1W1. mnmullll Ins 1mm WWI "animals M II I 0 O 0 O O O \9; (Q) n FO I 63 o 0 o o 0 (Q) I I: I o O 0 0 o o 0 (10 2f o :1 o o o o o f I: o o o o o 7 o o o o 3: 21 g o O P P o O P CAKE STOCK DISPENSING APPARATUS The present invention relates to a dispensing apparatus adapted to press out a cake stock such as for rolled sponge cake, cream puff coating, cupped-cake, marshmallow and the like through openings to provide lumps of predetermined size.

The present invention further relates to an improvement of a cake stock dispensing apparatus disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,680,992.

In a cake stock dispensing apparatus according to the abovementioned patented art, a depressing plate is always putting pressure on a shutter. Therefore the shutter is driven under a damping force, so that more driving force is necessary and operation thereoflacks in accuracy and speed.

Further in said apparatus, as a supporting plate for a disk for receiving cake stock is removable only in the vertical direction, lumps of cake stock extruded from the dispensing apparatus are formed only in a predetermined shape.

Further in the apparatus, a bottom plate having a number of openings or nozzles in the bottom of the cake stock container and a removable shutter is positioned on said bottom plate, there is relative slide between the shutter and cake stock thereon, or between cake stock on the shutter and cake stock in the container, causing partial change in quality of the cake stock.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate abovementioned disadvantages by providing a cake stock dispensing apparatus in which a shutter in sliding operation is released from the pressure of a depressing plate for depressing cake stock in order to obtain easy sliding.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cake stock dispensing apparatus in which supporting plate for a disk for receiving cake stock is horizontally slidable when a depressing plate is depressing cake stock, or when cake stock is extruded, so that lumps in various shapes can be obtained.

A further object ofthe present invention is to provide a cake stock dispensing apparatus in which a bottom plate having a number of openings and an intermediate plate are provided in the bottom of a cake stock container, and between said two plates a shutter is slidably disposed, so that change in cake stock quality is prevented and the shutter is smoothly slidable in cooperation with the structure mentioned in preceding objects.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a cake stock dispensing apparatus which prevents oozing out of cake stock through a narrow gap between a shutter and a bottom plate having a number of openings or between said shutter and an intermediate plate.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment with reference to the appended drawings.

FIG. I is a partially cutaway elevational view of a cake stock dispensing apparatus according to the present invention, representing schematically air pipe arrangements for a part of cylinders;

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view of according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged diagrammatical view partly in an apparatus section of a depressing means used in an apparatus according to the present invention, schematically representing air and oil pipe arrangement;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing a part of the bottom ofa cake stock container of an apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view ofa cake stock container of FIG. 4, wherein a depressing plate is taken away and for convenience of illustration each part is broken away;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatical view of a sliding means. representing schematically air and oil pipe arrangements;

FIG. 7 is an example of operating diagram illustrating sequences of the operation of an apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatical view of an apparatus according to the present invention, in which cake stock is depressed and extruded by a depressing plate; and

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatical view in which cake stock is depressed by a depressing plate and extruded into a stick-like shape.

An apparatus 10 according to the present invention basically comprises a cake stock container 20, a depressing plate 30 for depressing cake stock in said cake stock container, a shutter 50 for opening and closing openings disposed in the bottom of said container, a supporting plate for a disk adapted to receive cake stock extruded through said openings, and driving means for separately driving said depressing plate 30, said shutter 50 and said supporting plate 60.

In the lower portion of said cake stock container 20, a bottom plate 22 and an intermediate plate 24 are provided, the latter being positioned above the former. Between said two plates 22, 24, said shutter 50 is slidably provided on said bottom plate 22. Said bottom plate 22 has a required number of downwardly tapered nozzles 21, 21 Said intermediate plate 24, said shutter 50 and said bottom plate 22 are provided with piercing openings 23, 53, 25 respectively, said openings being so disposed that they are aligned with corresponding openings of the nozzles 21, 21 on the bottom plate 22 when said shutter is in the original or ending position in sliding operation by means of air cylinder 52.

Said shutter 50 has long holes 51,51 therethrough, and flush bolts are screwed into the intermediate plate 24 through said long holes so as to connect and fix the intermediate plate 24 to the bottom plate 22. The number of said long holes 51 is to be more than one. By this structure, space between the shutter 50 and the intermediate plate 24 or the bottom plate 22 is adjusted and a sag in the bottom plate 22 is prevented, and at the same time cake stock is prevented from intruding into the gap between the shutter 50 and the intermediate plate 24 or the bottom plate 22.

Said depressing plate 30 is so dimensioned as to vertically move along the inner wall the cake stock container in order to depress cake stock therein, and the center of said depressing plate 30 is fixed to a piston rod 32 of the depressing means 31. Said depressing means 31 comprises an operating cylinder 33 and an auxiliary clinder 34, as shown in FIG. 3. A chamber 36 below a piston 35 disposed in said operating cylinder 33 is filled with fluid or preferably oil, while another chamber 38 below a piston 37 disposed in said auxiliary cylinder 31 is also filled with oil, and the two chambers 36, 38 are connected to each other through a throttle valve 39 and magnetic valve ViLr- Further an upper chamber 40 in said operating cylinder and another upper chamber 41 in said auxiliary cylinder 34 are connected to a pipe 43 or 44 respectively so that compressed air can goes therein and thereout through a magnetic valve V or V respectively. And the pipe 43 is connected to a known form of compressor (not shown) through the medium of a regulator 45, while the pipe 44 is also connected to said compressor either through the medium of said regulator 45 or not therethrough. The reason is set forth below why the mag netic valves V V are provided, and that the magnetic valve V being connected to the regulator 45 as mentioned above.

Cake stock is, as mentioned below, depressed'by the depressing plate through the excitation of the magnetic valve V So if high pressure is put directly on the upper chamber 40 during said depressing, the piston 35 and consequently said depressing plate are slid down quickly, and too quickly for some kind of cake stock to be extruded into a requested shape. In fact, sliding of piston 35 can be controlled by said throttle valve 39, but for a wide range of speed control, pressure of compressed air and flow rate of fluid are preferably to be controlled separately. However, when cake stock in the container has been consumed, the depressing plate and consequently the piston are to be raised in order to put new cake stock into said container. Preferably the depressing plate and the piston are then raised as quickly as possible, and therefore highly compressed air is induced into the chamber 41 above the piston 37. If quickness is not requested in said raising, said magnetic valves V ,,V can be replaced by a four-way magnet valve.

Said depressing means 31 operates so as to downwardly move said piston 35 and thereby cause depressing plate 30 to depress cake stock only while the shutter is in open state as mentioned below. Said operation time is chosen to be shorter than the time while said shutter is in open state, as is described hereinafter.

Said depressing means operates in such a manner as mentioned below.

Compressed air is constantly induced into the chamber 40 above the piston 35 of the operating cylinder 33 through the medium of said magnetic valve V while the chamber 41 above the piston 37 of the auxiliary cylinder 34is open to the atmosphere through the medium of magnetic valve V (in FIG. 3). In such a condition the magnetic valve V and thereby the two chambers 36, 38 are connected to each other. Then only during said excitation, the piston 35 is pressed by the compressed air and oil is flowed into the chamber 38 of the auxiliary cylinder, causing the piston 35 to slide down exactly predetermined distance. The sliding rate of said piston is changeable as required by adjusting said throttle valve 39 and/or the regulator 45. When said magvention, incompressible oil is filled in the chamber 36 below the piston 35, and so air pressure put on the upper chamber does not cause the piston 35 to slide down.

The depressing means is not limited to one men- 4 said magnet is excited and the other magnet-is demagnetized, whereby the piston is slided up. Further, if the two magnets are demagnetized while the cylinder piston is in operation, the piston can be stopped at any desired position at that moment. In this case it is necessary to use incompressible oil as application fluid because air in place of incompressible oil unstabilizes operation of depressing means.

A proximity switch Mx is fixed to said supporting plate 60 which is connected to the upper end of piston rod 62 of air cylinder 61. Said air cylinder 61 is controlled by magnetic valve V,.

The air cylinder 61 is adapted to slide on horizontal rail 63 by means of the sliding means 64.

Said rail 63 being properly fixed to a stand 1 I, if pressure is put on the air cylinder to raise the piston, vertical movement of said cylinder 61 is checked by said rail 63, whereby said piston rod 62 can be slided down.

Said sliding means 64, comprises, as shown in FIG. 6, an air cylinder 65 and an oil pressure cylinder 66 directly connected to each other. A piston 67 in said air cylinder 66 and a piston 68 in the oil pressure cylinder 68 are connected to each other through the medium of a rod 69. A rod 70 is outwardly extended from said oil pressure cylinder 66, on theend of said rod 70 said air cylinder 61 being fixedly mounted.

Said air cylinder 65 is adapted to be connected to a compressor (not shown) through the medium of a pipe 71 and a magnetic valve V and also be open to the atmosphere. Preferably a regulator (not shown) of a conventional structure is provided between the magnetic valve V and said compressor. A pipe 72 is connected to said oil pressure cylinder 66 through the medium of magnetic valve V forming a loop. Numeral 73 designates a throttle valve, which adjusts flow rate of oil in said pipe 72.

Said sliding means 64 has substantially the same function as of said depressing means 31. When the magnetic valve V is excited, highly compressed air is induced into the chamber 74 of the air cylinder 65, but if the magnetic valve V,, is in close state, piston 68 is not slided. When magnetic valve V is excited piston 68 and consequently the rod 70 aremoved, thereby said air cylinder 61 being slided. In said sliding means 64 magnetic valves can be replaced by a double magnet four-way valve as well as in said depressing means.

Operation of a cake stock dispensing apparatus according to the present invention is set forth below with reference to FIG. 7.

In the beginning a circuit-changing switch CS is turned to the hand operation state and push-button switch PB, is pushed on, whereby the magnetic valve V is operated and at the same time a relay R is excited and said state is self-maintained.

Thereby the magnetic valve V is operated so that the piston 35 and consequently the depressing plate 30 are raised up and said depressing plate 30 is released from cake stock container.

In this state, the cake stock container 20 is removed in the direction opposite to the air cylinder 52 so that cake stock is filled thereinto The cake stock container 20 is moved back to the original position after being filled. Then the circuit-changing switch CS, is once turned off and then again turned on to the handoperation state. As abovementioned, the relay R is put in a self-maintaining state on pushing on push-button switch P8 and never released from said selfmaintaining state till the circuit changing switch CS is turned off from the hand-operation state, for relay R can be used as a safety device. That is, if the relay R is not adapted to be self-maintaining by pushing on push-button switch P3,, said magnetic valve V V is demagnetized on releasing said push-button switch P8 Even in such a condition. the piston is depressed on the oil in the chamber 36 by its own weight including the weight of depressing plate 30, but imcompressible oil prevents said piston 35 from sliding down. However, if there are any pinholes on the cylinder, pipe or the like, oil leakage therefrom causes piston 35 to slide down, which sometimes occasions accidents.

After turning again the circuit changing switch CS, to the hand-operation state, the push-button switch P8 is pushed on so that the magnetic valve V is operated and the depressing plate 30 is slided down to the predetermined position, and then said circuit changing switch CS, is turned to the automatic state.

ln the next place the circuit changing switches CS C5,, are turned on. Said circuit changing switches are provided for controlling each part prior to automatical operation thereof. lf said switches are turned off, a magnetic valve V is not operated, and consequently the shutter 50 is not opened. Said circuit changing switch CS is adapted to move the supporting plate 60 in the longitudinal direction. When said switch CS is in off state, the magnetic valve V and consequently sliding means 64 cannot operate.

After turning the circuit changing switch CS, to the automatic state, a disk 75 is mounted on the supporting plate 60. On detecting approach of said disk 75, the proximity switch Mx operates. Thereby the magnetic valve V is excited, which continues while said proximity switch Mx is in on state, and highly compressed air is introduced into chamber 40. When a Timer T, is turned to the on state through excitation, the magnetic valve V, is excited and the air cylinder 61 operates, so that said supporting plate 60 and consequently the disk 75 are raised. After the disk 75 is raised, a timer T is turned on. Thereby the magnetic valve V is excited but the magnetic valve V has not excited yet, and so the sliding means 64 does not operate. When a timer T is turned on, the magnetic valve V is excited so that chambers 36, 38 are connected to each other. As the magnetic valve U has already been excited then, highly compressed air introduced into chamber depresses piston 35 to be lowered down, so that cake stock is extruded through nozzles 21, 21 of container 20.

After the timer T is turned on, the magnetic valve V is excited, which excitation has been delayed by means ofa timer T As the magnetic valve V, has been excited then, the piston 67 is depressed and moved leftwardly in FIG. 6 and the air cylinder 61 is moved leftwardly in FIG. 1. When the timer T, is turned on, the timer T, is excited. Said timers T,,, T, function as mentioned below. Setting the timer in 0 state, the timer T is turned on and at the same time said magnetic valves V V are both excited, so that depressing plate 30 begins to extrude cake stock and at the same time the supporting plate 60 begins to move.

Therefore in this condition, cake stock extruded onto said disk 75 are formed into a shape with substantially same size of sections therethrough. When the timer T is delayed relative to the timer T the supporting plate 60 is not moved during said delayed time but only the LII depressing plate 30 operates, so that cake stock extruded onto disk is formed in a shape whose beginning portion is big and whose portion following to said big portion is small with substantially equall size of sections therethrough. Said timer T, are adapted for adjusting the distance of movement of the supporting plate 60. When said timer T is turned on after a predetermined time, the relay R, operates and the magnetic valves V V are demagnetized. Then the depressing plate 30 and supporting plate 60 stop their movement.

When said timer T, is turned on, the timer T; as well as said relay R, is excited, and after a predetermined time the magnetic valve V, is demagnetized thereby shutter 50 being closed, and at the same time timer T is excited. After a predetermined time from the excitation of the timer T the magnetic valve V, is demagnetized, whereby the supporting plate 60 is lowered down and thereby a limit switch L5, is turned on. Then a relay R operates and excites the magnetic valve V at the same time demagnetizing magnetic valve V Thereby pressure is put on the left side of piston 67 in FIG. 6, said piston 67 moves to the right. The piston 67 moving to the right turns on the limit switch LS thereby relay R, operates and the timer T, is turned off so that the whole circuit is reset.

Designation LS, in FIG. 7 indicates a limit switch for limiting the rightward movement of the depressing plate 30 in FIG. 1, while designation LS, indicates a limit switch for limiting the downward movement of the depressing plate 30 and for indicating absence of cake stock in the cake stock container. When the limit switch LS, is turned on, a buzzer Bz rings.

1 claim:

1. In a cake stock dispensing apparatus including:

a. a cake stock container having a bottom plate provided with a number of nozzle openings and an intermediate plate provided with a number of openings therethrough aligned with the nozzle openings;

b. a shutter disposed slidably between the bottom plate and the intermediate plate for opening and closing the openings of the plates,

c. a depressing plate positioned above the shutter for downwardly depressing cake stock contained in the container,

d. a supporting plate positioned below the nozzles of the bottom plate for removably supporting a disk which is adapted to receive the cake extruded through the nozzles,

e. a first cylinder operatively connected to the shutter for moving the shutter, and

f. a second cylinder operatively connected to the supporting plate for raising and lowering the supporting plate; the improvement comprising:

g. a depressing means for operating the depressing plate including an operating cylinder and an auxiliary cylinder, a first piston reciprocably mounted in the operating cylinder and a piston rod operatively connecting the first piston to the depressing plate, the first piston dividing the operating cylinder into a lower chamber below the first piston and an upper chamber above the first piston, a second piston reciprocably mounted in the auxiliary cylinder and dividing the auxiliary cylinder into a lower chamber below the second piston and an upper chamber above the second piston, pipe means connecting the lower chambers of the operating cylinder and the auxiliary cylinder, at least one magnetic valve interposed in said pipe means, the lower chambers being filled with incompressible fluid,.

and the sliding means in properly timed relation. 2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sliding means comprises an air cylinder and an oil cylinder in series connection, a piston reciprocably mounted in the oil cylinder, a pipe connecting the portions of the cylinder on opposite sides of the piston, and magnetic valve means interposed in the pipe for stopping said sliding means at any desired position.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim I, wherein said shutter is provided with at least one long hole, a flush bolt screwed through said long hole for adjusting space between the intermediate plate and the bottom plate and for securing the bottom plate to the intermediate plate.

l k i 

1. In a cake stock dispensing apparatus including: a. a cake stock container having a bottom plate provided with a number of nozzle openings and an intermediate plate provided with a number of openings therethrough aligned with the nozzle openings; b. a shutter disposed slidably between the bottom plate and the intermediate plate for opening and closing the openings of the plates, c. a depressing plate positioned above the shutter for downwardly depressing cake stock contained in the container, d. a supporting plate positioned below the nozzles of the bottom plate for removably supporting a disk which is adapted to receive the cake extruded through the nozzles, e. a first cylinder operatively connected to the shutter for moving the shutter, and f. a second cylinder operatively connected to the supporting plate for raising and lowering the supporting plate; the improvement comprising: g. a depressing means for operating the depressing plate including an operating cylinder and an auxiliary cylinder, a first piston reciprocably mounted in the operating cylinder and a piston rod operatively connecting the first piston to the depressing plate, the first piston dividing the operating cylinder into a lower chamber below the first piston and an upper chamber above the first piston, a second piston reciprocably mounted in the auxiliary cylinder and dividing the auxiliary cylinder into a lower chamber below the second piston and an upper chamber above the second piston, pipe means connecting the lower chambers of the operating cylinder and the auxiliary cylinder, at least one magnetic valve interposed in said pipe means, the lower chambers being filled with incompressible fluid, and magnetic valve means for filling the upper chambers with compressed air, h. sliding means operatively connected to the second cylinder for horizontally sliding the supporting plate, and i. electrical control circuit for controlling the first and seond cylinders, the depressing mechanisms and the sliding means in properly timed relation.
 2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sliding means comprises an air cylinder and an oil cylinder in series connection, a piston reciprocably mounted in the oil cylinder, a pipe connecting the portions of the cylinder on opposite sides of the piston, and magnetic valve means interposed in the pipe for stopping said sliding means at any desired position.
 3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shutter is provided with at least one long hole, a flush bolt screwed through said long hole for adjusting space between the intermediate plate and the bottom plate and for securing the bottom plate to the intermediate plate. 